(ANS – Rome) – On March 13, Pope Francis marked the twelfth anniversary of his election as Pontiff from the Roman hospital where he has been hospitalized for nearly a month. This period of stillness comes after one of the most intense years of his papacy, filled with the Jubilee, Synod, Consistory, international and domestic travels, and visits to Roman parishes. On this day, the Pope is accompanied by the prayers of the faithful from all five continents, with the certainty that his pastoral gaze never ceases to rest upon his flock.
It is easy to imagine Jorge Mario Bergoglio as physically weakened, yet eager to leave the tenth floor of the Gemelli Hospital and embrace his people once again. That same people to whom, twelve years ago on March 13, 2013, he humbly asked for a blessing and promised a shared journey: “Bishop and people, together…” The people to whom, at the end of every Angelus, homily, and speech, he always makes the same request: “Pray for me, because I need it.”
The World’s Response to “Pray for Me”
If there is one thing that will not be lacking on this anniversary for the Pope “from the ends of the earth,” it will be prayers. Numerous spontaneous initiatives have emerged across dioceses worldwide, creating a unified thread of intercession from China to Chad, Sri Lanka to his native Argentina, the United States to Rome—where groups of faithful gather daily in prayer, either in front of the hospital or in St. Peter’s Square, for Rosaries led by the Roman Curia. These prayers have only intensified following concerns about the Pope’s pneumonia, which, fortunately, has not led to further complications.
“Going Out”
These prayers (or for non-believers, “good thoughts,” as he himself has often requested) are united by a single plea: the healing of a fragile yet tenacious Pope—one who, as he often says, has “never remained fallen” but has always gotten back up after every physical challenge. He has regained his strength and voice, continued traveling, meeting people, receiving visitors, and—albeit in a wheelchair—visiting parishes in Rome and dioceses abroad, even flying to the other side of the hemisphere.
The Audio Heard in St. Peter’s Square
On March 13, 2025, Pope Francis begins the thirteenth year of his pontificate in a hospital room. So far, his only vocal message has been an audio recording played on March 6 among the faithful gathered for the Rosary in St. Peter’s Square. The brief words, recorded in Spanish from his private apartment at Gemelli, between respiratory therapy and high-flow oxygen treatment, were a simple yet heartfelt expression of gratitude:
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the Vatican Square. I accompany you from here. May God bless you, and may the Virgin protect you. Thank you.”
The Journey’s Longest Chapter
These words come after a year filled with tireless activity. Since March 13, 2024, Pope Francis has led 45 Angelus and Regina Caeli prayers, presided over 32 general audiences, held nearly 230 meetings inside and outside the Vatican, and celebrated 30 public Masses. Paradoxically, he now faces the longest hospitalization of his pontificate—five months after completing the longest journey of his papacy: a two-week trip to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.
That journey was a significant challenge for the then 87-year-old Francis, but he was repaid by the overwhelming warmth of the people—tribal songs and dances, women and children welcoming him on the streets, and people climbing trees and buildings just to wave flags bearing his image. One of the trip’s milestones was reaching Vanimo, on the borders of Papua New Guinea, to meet Argentine missionaries evangelizing among indigenous peoples—witnessing firsthand a Church in its infancy, much like those described in the Acts of the Apostles.
A Pilgrim in Europe and Italy
After that landmark mission to the world’s peripheries, the Pope resumed his European pilgrimage, visiting Luxembourg and Belgium in September—a shorter but equally intense trip, marked by encounters with the poor and youth, challenges at the University of Leuven, and addressing the crisis of abuse scandals. In December, he traveled again to Corsica. In Italy, he visited Venice, Verona, and Trieste, using these platforms to call for peace, fraternity, and democracy.
The Holy Door of St. Peter’s and the “Basilica” of Rebibbia Prison
The twelfth year of Pope Francis’ pontificate was also marked by key moments for the life of the Church, such as the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on the night of December 24, ushering in the Great Jubilee of Hope. Just two days later, on December 26, he opened the Holy Door in Rome’s Rebibbia prison, transforming the penitentiary into a symbolic “basilica” for a day—surrounded by both guards and deeply moved inmates.
Synod, Consistory, Encyclical, Appeals, Letters, and Meetings
October saw the continuation of the Synod on Synodality, the second Vatican phase of a three-year process that began at the diocesan level, bringing together lay and consecrated leaders from diverse backgrounds to initiate reforms and develop new directions.
The twelfth year of his papacy also witnessed the publication of Dilexit Nos, his fourth encyclical, centered on bringing the “Heart of Jesus Christ” to a world “that seems to have lost its heart.” Additionally, the Pope held the tenth Consistory, appointing 21 new cardinals and further shaping the Church’s increasingly universal face.
Hopes and Certainties
Then, in mid-February, came the pause—illness, absence from public appearances, and the delegation of Jubilee celebrations to other cardinals. Yet, throughout this period, hope remains alive, fueled by prayer and the certainty of his continued presence and pastoral care. Between treatments and therapies, rest and prayer, his gaze never wavers from his flock.
“I accompany you from here.”
Source: Vatican News